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Young extracellular matrix

Young extracellular matrix has been studied in 5 papers since 2021: none in people yet, 2 in animals, 3 in cells; 1 in the past year. The research so far is in animals and cells. The newest story, Nov 5, 2026: “Aged tissue scaffolds promote breast tumor growth in mice”.

Intervention

5 papers study it9 findingsUpdated

1 new paper in 30 daysSee all 5 papers on young extracellular matrix

At a glance

The findings reach mice, none yet in people. 4 independent labs in 3 countries.

None of its findings points the other way.

Cells and mice: a single group. Worms or flies and humans: nothing yet.

C, W, M, H: cells, worms or flies, mice, humans. Dark: independent labs found the same change there. Light: one lab or one study. Outline: nothing yet.

Labs are independent when their papers share no last author and no institution.

Company ties: findings with an author at a company, or from a paper whose competing-interests statement declares ties to one.

  • 4 independent labs in 3 countries
  • Funders: US Department of Veterans Affairs and others
  • 3 of 9 findings with company ties
  • Animals2
  • Cells3

What did studies of young extracellular matrix find?

9

Studies of young extracellular matrix measured 9 outcomes; the most studied are CD74 (1 study), apoptosis (1) and cellular senescence (1).

CD74

upin human cells1

1 study

  1. Young extracellular matrix increases CD74 in human cells (cultured on ECM synthesized by human amniotic fluid-derived pluripotent stem cells vs TCP).

    “remarkable up-regulation of intracellular CD74 when cells were maintained on ECM Plus compared to TCP”

    Cellscultured on ECM synthesized by human amniotic fluid-derived pluripotent stem cells vs TCPadipose tissue

    Aging Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Cultured on a Native Young Extracellular Matrix, Are Protected From Senescence and Apoptosis Along With Increased Expression of HLA-DR and CD74 Associated With PI3K Signaling

    Aging cell

More on CD74

Apoptosis

downin human cells1

1 study

  1. Young extracellular matrix decreases apoptosis in human cells (cultured on ECM synthesized by human amniotic fluid-derived pluripotent stem cells vs TCP).

    “key modulator of cell survival (anti-apoptosis)”

    Cellscultured on ECM synthesized by human amniotic fluid-derived pluripotent stem cells vs TCPadipose tissue

    Aging Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Cultured on a Native Young Extracellular Matrix, Are Protected From Senescence and Apoptosis Along With Increased Expression of HLA-DR and CD74 Associated With PI3K Signaling

    Aging cell

More on Apoptosis

Cellular senescence

downin human cells1

1 study

  1. Young extracellular matrix decreases cellular senescence in human cells (cultured on ECM synthesized by human amniotic fluid-derived pluripotent stem cells vs TCP).

    “suppression of cellular senescence”

    Cellscultured on ECM synthesized by human amniotic fluid-derived pluripotent stem cells vs TCPadipose tissue

    Aging Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Cultured on a Native Young Extracellular Matrix, Are Protected From Senescence and Apoptosis Along With Increased Expression of HLA-DR and CD74 Associated With PI3K Signaling

    Aging cell

More on Cellular senescence

Healing of bone defects

upin rats1

1 study

  1. Young extracellular matrix improves healing of bone defects in an aged rat model.

    “Notably, a novel composite biomaterial combining hyaluronic acid methacrylate hydrogel microspheres with Y-ECM is developed, which yielded substantial improvements in the healing of bone defects in an aged rat model.”

    Animalsin an aged rat modelcomposite biomaterial combining hyaluronic acid methacrylate hydrogel microspheres with Y-ECMbone

    Youthful Stem Cell Microenvironments: Rejuvenating Aged Bone Repair Through Mitochondrial Homeostasis Remodeling

    Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany)

Survival

upin human cells1

1 study

  1. Young extracellular matrix improves survival in human cells (post-MI in aged iCMs).

    “Young ECM decreased oxidative stress, improved survival, and post-MI beating in aged iCMs.”

    Cellspost-MI in aged iCMs

    In need of age-appropriate cardiac models: Impact of cell age on extracellular matrix therapy outcomes

    Aging cell

Oxidative stress and ROS signaling

downin human cells1

1 study

  1. Young extracellular matrix decreases oxidative stress and ROS signaling in human cells (post-MI in aged iCMs).

    “Young ECM decreased oxidative stress, improved survival, and post-MI beating in aged iCMs.”

    Cellspost-MI in aged iCMs

    In need of age-appropriate cardiac models: Impact of cell age on extracellular matrix therapy outcomes

    Aging cell

More on Oxidative stress and ROS signaling

RUNX2

upin human cells1

1 study

  1. Young extracellular matrix increases RUNX2 in human cells (cultured on young ECM).

    “up-regulated the expression of osteogenic gene markers such as Runx2 and OPN”

    Cellscultured on young ECMdecellularized ECMbone marrow

    Impact of Donor Age on the Osteogenic Supportive Capacity of Mesenchymal Stromal Cell-Derived Extracellular Matrix

    Frontiers in cell and developmental biology

More on RUNX2

Extracellularly deposited calcium

upin human cells1

1 study

  1. Young extracellular matrix increases extracellularly deposited calcium in human cells (cultured on young ECM vs old ECM) (9.10 ± 0.22 vs. 4.69 ± 1.41 μg.μl−1.10−7 cells).

    “In fact, old MSC maintained on a young ECM produced higher amounts of extracellularly deposited calcium (9.10 ± 0.22 vs. 4.69 ± 1.41 μg.μl−1.10−7 cells for young ECM and old ECM, respectively)”

    Cellscultured on young ECM vs old ECMdecellularized ECMbone marrow

    Impact of Donor Age on the Osteogenic Supportive Capacity of Mesenchymal Stromal Cell-Derived Extracellular Matrix

    Frontiers in cell and developmental biology

More on Extracellularly deposited calcium

osteogenic differentiation

upin human cells1

1 study

  1. Young extracellular matrix increases osteogenic differentiation in human cells (cultured on decellularized ECM derived from young MSC).

    “When aged MSC were cultured on decellularized ECM derived from young MSC, their in vitro proliferative and osteogenic capacities were enhanced, which did not happen when cultured on old ECM.”

    Cellscultured on decellularized ECM derived from young MSCdecellularized ECMbone marrow

    Impact of Donor Age on the Osteogenic Supportive Capacity of Mesenchymal Stromal Cell-Derived Extracellular Matrix

    Frontiers in cell and developmental biology

Funding

1 grant since 2018

US Department of Veterans Affairs

Latest

Dec 2025: 0Jan 2026: 0Feb 2026: 0Mar 2026: 0Apr 2026: 0May 2026: 0Jun 2026: 0Jul 2026: 0Aug 2026: 1Sep 2026: 0Oct 2026: 0Nov 2026: 01 paper in 12 months
BMC Biology

Aged tissue scaffolds promote breast tumor growth in mice

Human breast cancer cells on scaffolds from mice aged 24–48 months formed larger tumors in young mice than cells on scaffolds from mice aged 2–4 months.Human breast cancer cells on scaffolds from mice aged 24–48 months formed larger tumors in young mice than cells on scaffolds from mice aged 2–4 months.

Mouse studyMechanisms
Paper

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